14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let
them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil, 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame, that say imto me, Aha, aha!
1 Sam. iii. 2; iv. 15; 1 Kings xiv.4; coinp. Ps. vi. 7. The idea here is, not that he was unable to looJc tip, but that the calamities which came upon him were so heavy and severe as to make his sight dim, or to deprive him of vision. Either by weeping, or by the mere pressure of suffering, he was so affected as almost to be deprived of the power of seeing. ^ They are more than the hairs of mine head. That is, the sorrows that come upon me in connexion with sin. The idea is that they were innumerable,— the hairs of the head, or the sands on the seashore, being employed in the; Scriptures to denote what cannot be numbered. See Ps. Ixix. 4. Comp. Gen. xxii. 17; xxxii. 12; Josh, xi. 4; 2 Sam. xvii. 11. % Therefore my heart faileth me. INlarg., as in 'iie\y.,forsaT{eth. The idea is, that he sank under these sufferings; he could not sustain them.
13. Be pleased, O LoED, to deliver me. That is, in these troubles and sorrows. See Matt. xxvi. 39. The prayer is that, if possible, the cup of sorrow might be taken awa}'. ^ O LoED, make haste to help me. This is the same form of prayer, and referring, I suppose, to the same occasion as that which occurs in Ps. xxii. 19. See Notes on that verse.
14. Let them he ashamed and confounded together. See Notes on Ps. XXXV. 4, 26. This may be understood here rather as a confident expectation than a wish or desire. It implies the certainty that they tcould thus be ashamed and confounded; that is, that they would not be successful, or would be foiled in their purposes. But understood as a Avish or prayer, it could not be improper. There is no sin in the wish that the wicked may not be successful in their plans, and may not be suffered to injure us.
As the language of the Messiah it was in every way an appropriate prayer that the purposes of those who would defeat his design in coming into the world might be foiled, — for on the execution of that design depended the salvation of a lost race. % That seek after my soul to destroy it. That seek after my life; that would destroy me. That is, they seek to kill me; they would take my life before the full time is come. As understood of the Messiah, this would refer to the times when his life was in danger, as it often was, before the full period had arrived for him to die: John vii. 6; Matt. xxvi. 18. The purpose of his enemies was to take his life; to prevent the spread of his doctrines; to check him in his work. The taking of his life at any time before the full period had arrived, or in any other way than that in which he had purposed to lay it down, would have been a defeat of his work, since in the plan.of salvation it was contemplated that he should die at a certain time, and in a certain manner, — that he should die at the time Avhich had been predicted by the prophets, and in such a mode as to make an atonement for sin. All this would have been defeated if, before that time came, he had been put to death by stoning, or in any of the numerous ways in which his life was threatened. •[[ Let them be driven backzvard, and put to shame, that ivish me evil. Turned backward, as they are who are unsuccessful, or are defeated. Comp. John xviii. 6.
15. Let them he desolate. The word here employed means to he astonished or amazed; then, to be laid waste, or made desolate. As used here, it refers to their purposes, and the wish or prayer is that they might be wholly unsuccessful, or that in respect to success they might be like a waste
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be i^lad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh " upon nie: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
and desolate field where tiothhig p:ro\vs. % For a reicard. The word here used — Hpi?. (dkch — means the end, the last of anything; then, the rccompence, reward, v/ages, as being the end, the result, or issue of a certain course of conduct. That is, in this case, the "desolation" prayed for would be a jjroper recompence for their purpose, or for what they said. ^ Of their shame. Of their shameful act or purpose; their act as deserving of ignominy., % That say unto me, Aha, aha. " That use language of reproach and contempt. This is a term of exultation over another; a word of rejoicing at the calamities that come on another; an act of joy over a fallen enemy: Ezek. xxv. 3.; see Notes on Ps. xxxv. 21, 25. As understood of the Messiah, this would refer to the taunts and reproaches of his enemies; the exultation which they manifested when they had him in their power, — when they felt secure that their vexations in regard to him were at an end, or that they would be troubled with him no more. By I)utting him to death they supposed that they might feel safe from further molestation on his account. For tliis act, this note of exultation and joy, on the part of the Jewish rulers, and of the people as stimulated by those rulers, the " desolation " which came upon them (the utter ruin of their temple, their city, and their nation) was an appropriate " reward." That desoUitiou did not go bei/ond their desert, for their treatment of the Messiah, — as the ruin of the sinner in the future world will not go bei/ond his desert for having rejected the same Messiah as his Saviour.
16. Let all those that seek thee. All those who desire to know thee; to understand thy ways; to be thy friends. The phrase is used to denote the truly pious, because it is a characteristic of all such that they truly desire to be acquainted with God, and to find the way which leads to his favour. ^ Hejoice and he glad in thee. (1) By finding thee, or securing the object which they sought; (2) in thee, as the source of all true comfort and joy. The prayer is that all such may be successful in their efforts, while those who have no such aim may be disappointed, ver. 14. ^ Let such as love thy salvation, (a) Thy method of salvation, or the appointed way by which men may be saved; and {b) the salvation itself, — deliverance from the guilt and dominion of sin, and complete and eternal restoration to the favour of God. ^ Say continually. The LOED he magnijied. See Notes on Ps. xxxv. 27, where the same expression occurs.
17. But I am poor and needy. More literally, " I am afflicted and poor." The language would describe the condition of one who was afflicted and was at the same time poor; of one who had no resource but in God, and who was passing through scenes of poverty and sorrow. There were undoubtedly times in the life of David to which this language would be applicable; but it would be far more applicable to the circumstances in which the Redeemer was placed; and, in accordance with the interpretation which has been given of the other parts of the psalm, I suppose that this is designed to represent his afflicted and humble condition as a man of poverty and sorrow. *[ Yet the LoED thinketh upon me. The Lord cares for me; he has not forgotten me. Man forsakes me, but he will not. Man leaves me to poverty and sorrow, but he will not. How true this was of the Kedeemer, that the "Lord," the Father of mercies.
" thought " on liiui, it is not needful now to say; noi* can it be doubted that in the heavy sorrows of his hfe this was a source of habitual consolation. To others also — to all his friends — this is a source of unspeakable comfort. To be an object of the thoughts of God; to be had in his mind; to be constantly in his remembrance; to be certain that he will not forsake us in our trouble; to be assured in our own minds that one so great as God is — the infinite and eternal One — will never cease to " think " on us, may well sustain us in all the trials of life. It matters little who does forsake up, if he does not; it would be of little advantage to us who should think on us, if he did not. ^ Thou art my help and my deliverer. Implying the highest confidence. See Notes on Ps. xviii. 2. % Make no tarrying, O my God. Do not linger or delay in coming to my assistance. The psalm closes with this prayer. Applied to the Redeemer, it indicates strong confidence in God in the midst of his afilictions and sorrows, with earnest pleading, coming from the depth of those sorrows, that God would interpose for him. The vision of the psalmist extended here no farther. His eye rested on a suffering Messiah, — afflicted, crushed, broken, forsaken — with all the woes connected with the work of human redemption, and all the sorrows expressive of the evil of sin clustering upon him, yet confident in God, and finding his last consolation in the feeling that God "thoughV on him, and in the assurance that He would not ultimately forsake him. There is something delightful, though pensive, in the close of the psalm. The last prayer of the sufferer — the confident, earnest pleading — lingers on the ear, and we almost seem to behold the Sufierer in the depth of his sorrows, and in the earnestness of his supplication, calmly looking up to God as One that " thouglit " on him when all others had forgotten him; as a last, safe refuge when every other reluge had failed. So, in our sorrows.
we may lie before the throne, calmly looking up to God with a feeling that we are not forgotten-; that there is One who "thinks" on us; and that it is our privilege to pray to him that he would hasten to deliver us. All sorrow can be borne when we feel that God has not forgotten us; we may be calm when all the world forsakes us, if we can feel assured that the great and blessed God " thinks " on us, and will never cease to re» member us.
This psalm, ascribed to David, has, in its general design and spirit, a strong resemblance to Ps. xxxviii. The occasion on Avhich it was composed is not certamly known; but, like that, it seems to have been when the author was suffering under bodily sickness, not improbably brought on him hx mental sorrows caused by the ingratitude of his friends, or by those nearly related to him in life. It is certam that his bodily sufferings were either caused or aggravated by the neglect of his friends; by their cold treatment of him; by their ingratitude towards him; by the'repoi-ts which they circulated in regard to him. See Ps. xxxviii. 11, 12; comp. Ps. xli. o-9. It was tliis unkindness certainly Avhicli greatly increased his suffering, and Avhich probably gave occasion to the psalm. "Who the persons Avere that thus treated him Avith neglect and coldness cannot now be ascertained; nor is it necessary to know tcho tliey were in order to appreciate the meaning and the beauty of the psalm. Their conduct is so accurately and so feelingly described, that it would be no particular advantage to be made acquainted with then* names.
The case, therefore, in the psalm is that of one who is sick; who is forsaken by his friends; who is subjected to unkind remarks alike when they are -^ith him and when absent from him; of one, therefore, whose only refuge is God, and who looks to him for sympathy.
I. The psalmist dwells on the blessed character of one who does show compassion or kindness to the poor and the suffering; the blessedness of the man who is merciful, vers. 1-3. This is evidently a xi^^vcHow forced upon him by
"DLESSED o is he that considereth the i poor: the Lord will deliver him in 2 time of trouble.
the opposite conduct of those whom he supposed he might have regarded as his friends, and to \vhom he had a right to look for sympathy and kindness. In his own mind, therefore, he contrasts their actual conduct with the character of the truly kind and merciful man, and is led, in few words, to describe the happiness which would follow if proper kindness were shown to the poor and the afflicted. lie says that the effect of sucli conduct would be («) that the Lord would deliver such an one in the time of trouble, ver. 1; {b) that the Lord would preserve him alive, ver. 2; {c) that he would be blessed upon the earth, ver. 2; {d) that the Lord would not deliver him to the will of his enemies, ver. 2; {e) that he would strengthen liim on the bed of languishing, and would make his bed m his sickness, ver. 3.
II. An appeal to God for mercy, and for restoration to health, with an humble confession that it was for his own sin that he was suffermg; and with a purpose not to attempt to justify himself, or to say that he had not deserved this at the liand of God, ver. 4. He makes no complaint of God, much as he had occasioii to complain of his friends.
III. A statement in regai'd to the manner in which he had been treated in his sickness, vers. 5-9. («) His enemies took occasion to speak evil of him, and to utter the wish, m a manner which would be most painful to a sufferer, that he might die, and that his name might perish, ver. o. (b) If they came to see him in his sickness, instead of speaking words of kindness and comfort, they spoke only "vain" and immeaniiig Avords; they sought occasion to gratify their own malignity by finding something in his manner, or in his language, which the3' could repeat to his disadvantage, ver. 6. (o) All that hated him took occasion now to co«57;?Ve against him, to lay together all that they individually knew or could say that would bemjurious to him, and to urge their individualcauses of complaint against him in a general statement in regard to his character, ver. 7. {d) They especially sought to injure him by reporting that a disease clave to him which was the result of sin, perhaps of an irregular life, and that there was no prospect that he would be again restored to health; that the hand of God was upon him, and that he must sink to the grave, ver. 8. (c) All this was aggravated by the fact tliat his own familiar friend,soiiie one who had enjo\ed his confidence, and had partaken of the hospitality of his table, had abused his friendship, and was found among his detractors and calumniators, ver. 9.
IV. An earnest invocation of the mercy of God, and an expression of the confident assurance of his favour, closes the psalm, vers. 10-13.
This psahn, like Ps. xxxviii., which it so much resembles, is one that will be always eminently useful to those who are visited with sickness, and who, at the same time, are deprived of the s}inpathy in their sufferings which the afflicted so much need and desire, and who, instead of sympathy, are subjected to detraction and calumny, — their enemies taking advantage of their condition to circulate unfavourable reports in regard to them, and their heretofore professed friends withdrawing from them, and uniting with their calumniators and detractors. Such cases maj' not be veri/ common in the world, but they occur with sufficient frequency to make it proper that, in a book claiming to be inspired, and designed to be adapted to all times and all classes of men, they should be referred to, and that we should be told what is the true source of consolation in such troubles. Indeed, a book professing to come from God would be defective in the highest degi-ee if such a case were 7iot provided for, and if suitable instructions for such an occasion had not been furnished by precept, or example, or both. On the phrase in the title, " To the chief ^lusician," see Notes on the title to Ps. iv.
1. Blessed is lie. See Notes on Ps. i. 1. Literally, " Oh the blessings of liim that considers the poor." The object is to describe the advantages of doing what is here said; or the excellence of the spirit which would be manifested in such a case, and the effect which this would have on his own happiness, These happy effects
2 Tlie Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and lie shall be blessed upon the earth: and ^ thou wilt not p deliver him un-
3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing -.
are described in the remainder of this verse, and in the two following verses. ^ That consider eth. The word here used — from ^5to, sachal — means properly to look at, to behold; then, to be prudent or circumspect; then, to attend to; and then in genei-al to act prudently, wisely, intelligently, in any case. Here it means to attend to; to show an interest in; to care for. The idea is that of not neglecting; not passing by; not being indifferent to; not being hard-hearted and uncharitable towards. ^ The poor. Marg., the iceaJc, or the sick. The word used in the Hebrew — bl, dal — means properly something hanging or swinging, as of pendulous boughs or branches; and then, that which is weak, feeble, powerless. Thus it comes to denote those who are feeble and helpless either by poverty or by disease, and is used with a general reference to those who are in a low or humble condition, and who need the aid of others. The statement here is of a general nature, — that he is blessed who shows proper sympathy for all of that class: for tliose who need the sympathy of others from any cause — poverty, sickness, a low condition, or trouble. The particular thing here referred to was a case of sickness; where one was borne down by disease, perhaps brought on by mental sorrow, and when he particularly needed the sympathy of his friends. See vers. 5-8. ^ The LOED tvill deliver him in time of trouble. Marg., as in Heb., in the day of evil. This is the first happy effect or result of showing proper sympathy with others in their troubles. It is a statement of the general principle that the Lord will deal with us as we do with others. See this principle stated and illustrated in Ps. xviii. 24-26.
2. The LoED loill preserve him, and keep him alive. This is a ftirther statement of the same principle, and it refers to a general, not a tiniversal rule in the Divine administration, that acts of piety Mill be partially rewarded on the earth; or that the Divine favour will be shown to those who deal kindly with others. This principle is often referred to in the Scriptures. See Notes on Ps. i. 3; xxxvii. 3, 4, 11, 23-26, 37; comp. Matt. V. 5; 1 Tim. iv. 8. The particular application here is, that if any one showed kindness to him that was sick or enfeebled by disease, he might expect that God would interpose in his case under similar circumstances, and would " preserve " him, or " keep him alive." Of course this is to be regarded as a statement made under the general principle. It is not to be interpreted as teaching that this would be universally true, or that he wdio did this would never die, but the meaning is, that he might look for special Divine aid and favour, when he in turn should be sick. ^ And he shall he blessed upon the earth. This is in accordance with the doctrine noticed above, and so often referred to in the Psalms and elsewhere, that the eifect of religion will be to promote happiness and prosperity in this life. % And thou icilt not deliver Mm unto the will of his enemies. Marg., Do not thou deliver. The margin, perhaps, expresses most correctly the sense of the original, but still it is an expression of the confident belief of the psalmist that this tvill not occur; a belief expressed here rather in the form of a prayer than of a direct assertion. The idea is, that he would find God to be a defender and a helper when he was attacked by his foes.
3. The LoED ivill strengthen him upon the bed of languishing. The word rendered strengthen here means to support; to uphold; to sustain. The idea here is, that God would enable him to bear his sickness, or would impart strength — inward strength — when his body failed, or when but for this aid he must sink under his disease and die. The word rendered languishing means properly languor or sickness; and more generally something sickening; that is, something unclean, unwholesome, nauseating, Job vi. 6. The idea here, in accordance with what is stated above, is, that acts of religion will tend to promote our welfai'e and happiness in this life; and more particularly that the man who shows favour (ver. 1) to those who are weak, sick, helpless, will find in turn that God will support him when he is sick. Thus, Ps. xviii. 25, " With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful." ^ Thou loilt make all his bed in his sickness. Marg., as in Heb., turn. So the LXX., t(TTpe-<pag. Luther renders it, " Thou dost help him." The idea is, that God will turn his bed or his couch; that is, that he will render favour like turning his couch, or making his bed when he is sick; or, in other words, he will relieve his suffering, and make him comfortable on his bed. It does not mean that he will turn his sickness to health, but that be will relieve and comfort him, as one is relieved and soothed on a sick bed by having his bed "made up." This, too, is in accordance with the general sentiment that God will show himself merciful to those who are merciful; kind to those who are kind. On the bed of languishing it will be much to be able to remember that we, in our health, have contributed to the comfort of the sick and the dying. (a) The recollection itself will do much to impart inward satisfaction then, for we shall then appreciate better than we did when we performed the act the value of this trait of character, and have a deeper sense of gratitude that we have been able to relieve the sufferings of others; (b) we may believe and trust that God will remember what we have done, and that he will manifest himself to us then as our gracious supporter and our comforter. It will not be because by our own acts we have merited his favour, but because this is his gracious purpose, and because it is in accordance with his nature thus to bestow kindness on those who have been kind to others.
4. I said, Lord. I said in my sickness, or in the trial referred to in the psalm. I called on God to be merciful to me when others had no mercy; to bo near tome when others turned awiiy; to save me when pressed down with disease on account of my sins. All that follows relates, like this passage, to what occurred when he was sick; to the thoughts that passed through his mind, and to the treatment which he then experienced from others. "^ Be merciful unto me. In forgiving my sins, and restoring me to health. ^ Heal my soul. In restoring my soul to spiritual health by forgiving the sin which is the cause of my sickness; or it may mean. Restore my life, — regarding his life as (as it were) diseased and iu danger of extinction. The probability, however, is that he had particular reference to the soul as the word is commonly understood, or as designating himself; heal, or restore me. ^ For I have sinned against thee. Regarding his sin as the cause of his sickness. See Notes on Ps. xxxviii. 3, 4, 5.
5. Mine enemies speak evil of me. They take occasion to speak evil of me in my weak and feeble state, thus adding to my sorrows. The word " evil " here refers to their calumnies or reproaches. They spoke of him as a bad man; as if it wore desirable
When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 And if he come to see me,
he * speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
that he should die; that his influence in the world should come to an end, and that his name should he forgotten. T[ When shall he die. " He is sick; sick on account of his sins; it seems certain that he will die; and it is desirable that such a man should die. But he seems to linger on, as if there were no hope of his dying." Nothing can be imagined more unkind, cutting, severe than this, — the desire that a man who is sick shall die, and be out of the way. Nothing could add more to the sorrows of sickness itself than such a wish; than to have it talked about among men — whispered from one to another — that such a man was a nuisance; that he was a bad man; that he was suffering on account of his sins; that it was desirable that his death should occur as soon as possible, and that all remembrance of him on earth should cease. % And his name perish. That lie should be forgotten altogether; that his name should be no more mentioned; that all the influence of his life should cease for ever. Of a truly bad man — a corrupter of the faith and the virtue of others — this is desirable, for the sooner such men are forgotten the better. Forgotten they will be (Prov. x. 7), but there is no more malignant feeling in regard to a good man, and especially when such a man is suffering under a severe disease, than the wish that he should die, and that his name should wholly fade away from recollection.
6. And if he come to see me. If he condescends to visit me in my sickness. The word "me" is not in the original; and perhaps the idea is not that he came to see the sufferer, but that he came to see for himself, though under pretence of paying a visit of kindness. His real motive was to make observation, that he might find something in the expressions or manner of the sufferer that would enable him to make a report unfavourable to him, and to confirm him in his impression that it was desirable such a man should die. He would come under the mask of sympathy and friendship, but really to find something that would confirm him in the opinion that he was a bad man, and that would enable him to state to others that it was desirable he should die. ^ He speaketh vanity. He utters no expressions of sincerity and truth; he suggests nothing that would console and comfort me; his words are all foreign to the purpose for which a man should visit another in such circumstances, and are, therefore, vain words. What he says is mere pretence and hypocrisy, and is designed to deceive me, as if he had sympathy with me, while his real purpose is to do me mischief ^ His heart gathereth iniquity to itself. Or, in his heart he is gathering mischief. That is, in his heart, or in his secret purpose, under the pi-etence of sympathy and friendship, he is really aiming to gather the materials for doing me wrong.* He is endeavouring to find something in my words or manner; in my expressions of impatience and complaining; in the utterances of mj^ unguarded moments, when I am scarcely conscious — something that may be uttered in the honesty of feeling when a man thinks that he is about to die — some reflections of my own on my past life — some confession of sin, Avhich he may turn to my disadvantage, or which may justify his slanderous report that I am a bad man, and that it is desirable that such a man should live no longer. Can anything be imagined more malicious than this? ^ When he goeth abroad, he telleth it. Literally, he tells it to the street, or to those who are without. Perhaps his friends, as malicious as himself, are anxiously waiting without for his re-
7 All that liate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise ^ my hnrt.
8 2 An evil disease, say ihey, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more.
port, aud, like liirn, are desirous of finding: something that may confirm them in their opinion of liim. Or perhaps ho designs to tell this to the friends of the svifferer, to show them now that they were deceived in the man; that although in the days of his health, and in his prosperity, he seemed to be a good man, yet that now, when the trial has come, and a real test has been applied, all his religion has been found false and hollow; his impatience, his complaining, his murmuring, and his unwillingness to die, all showing that he was a hypocrite, and was at heart a bad man. Comp. Notes on Job i. 9-11. 7. All that hate me whisper together agaimt me. They talk the matter over where they suppose that no one can hear; they endeavour to collect and arrange all that can be said against me; they place all that they can say or think as individuals, all that they have separately known or suspected, into common stock, and make use of it against me. There is a conspiraci/ against me — a purpose to do me all the evil that they can. This shows that, in the apprehension of the sufferer, the one who came to see for himself (ver. 6) came as one of a company — as one deputed or delegated to find some new occasion for a charge against him, and that he had not to suffer under the single malignity of one, but under the combined malignity of many. % Against me do they devise my hurt. Mai-g., as in Heb., evil to me. That is, they devise some report, the truth of which tliey endeavour to confirm by something that they may observe in my sickness which will be injurious to me, and which will prove to the world that I am a bad man — a man by whose death the world would be benefited. The slanderous report on v>'hich they seemed to agree is mentioned in the following verse, — that he was sufiering under a disease which was directly and manifestly the result of a sinful life, and that it must be fatal.
8. An evil disease. Marg., a thing of Belial. The Hebrew is literally a word of Belial. This has been very variously understood and interpreted. The LXX. render it, \6yov Trapdvofiov — a wicked word; " a wicked determination " (Thompson); that is, they formed a wicked purpose against him, to wit, by saying that he was now confined to his bed, and could not rise again. The Latin Vulgate renders it in a similar manner: Verbum iniquitum constituerunt adversum mec Luther, *' They have formed a wicked device {Bubenstiick) against me;" they behave in a knavish or wicked manner. De Wette, " Destruction ( rerderhen) or punishment {Strafe) is poured upon him." The term rendered disease means properly ivord or thing; and Professor Alexander renders it, "A word of Belial is poured upon him." The word rendered evil, Belial, means literally without use — ^Vt-'B — froi^i "^3? beli, not or toithout, and b^!, yaal, tcse or profit. Then it means worthlessness, wickedness, destruction; and hence, in connexion with man, denotes one who is wicked, worthless, abandoned. It is difficult to determine its meaning here. The connexion (ver. 3) would seem to suggest the idea adopted by our translators; the words themselves would seem rather to convey the idea of some reproach, or harsh saying — some vain, wicked, malicious words that were uttered against him. That there was disease in the case, and that the psalm was composed in view of it, and of the treatment which the author experienced from those who had been his professed friends when sufiering under it, seems to me to be manifest from v(!rs. 1, 3, 4, 8; but it is probable that the reference in this
9 Yea, i mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which
expression is not to the disease, but to the.words or the conduct of his cakimniators. It is evident from the pronoun liim — the third person — that this refers, as our translators have indicated by the words " say they " to something that they said in regard to him; something which they affirmed as the result of their observations on his condition, vers. 6, 7. The true idea, therefore, I think is this: — " They say — that is, those who came to see me said — A * word of evil ' — a sentence of evil or destruction — is poured upon him. He is suflering under such a * word of destruction;' or, such a word (that is, sentence) as will involve his destruction, by way of punishment for his sins; therefore all is over with him, and he must die. He can hope to rise no more." This would express the idea that they regarded his death as certain, for he seemed to be under a sentence which made that sure. ^ Cleaveth fast tinto Mm. Or rather, is poured upon him. The word here used — p^^, tzuJc — means (1) to be narrow, straitened, compressed; and then (2) to pour out — as metal is poured out (Job xxviii. 2), or as words are poured out in prayer (Isa. xxvi. 16). Here it would seem to mean that such a sentence was poured upon him, or that he had become submerged or swallowed up under it. It was like the pouring out of a torrent on him, overMielming him with floods of water, so that he could not hope to escape, or to rise again. ^ And now that he lieih, he shall rise up no more. There is no liope for him; no prospect that he will ever get up again. They felt that they might indulge their remarks, therefore, freely, as he w^ould not be able to take revenge on them, and their expectations and hopes were about to be accomplished by his death. Comp. ver. 5. As a part of Ilia sufferings, all this was aggravated by the fact that they regarded those suffei'ings as full proof of his guilt; that he could not reply to their accusations; and that he was about to die under that imputation.
9. Yea, mine oicn familiar friend. Marg., as in Heb., the man of my peace. The man with whom I was at peace; who had no cause of alienation from me; with whom I was associated in the most peaceful and friendly relations. % In ivliom I trusted. He whom I made my confidential friend, and on whom 1 supposed I could rely in the time of trouble. ^ Which did eat of my bread. This may either denote one who was supported by him as one of his family, or else one who partook of his hospitality. In the former case, if that is the meaning, he had a right to expect that, as a matter of gratitude, such an one would stand by him, and not be found among his enemies. In the latter case, if that is the meaning, he had a right to expect that one who had shared his hospitality would not be found among his foes. % Hath lifted up his heel against me. Marg., as in Heb., magnified. So the LXX. and the Latin Vulgate. Liither renders this, •' hath trodden me under his feet."' The figure here is taken from a horse that turns and kicks him that had fed him. This passage is applied (John xiii. 18) to Judas, with the statement, in regard to him, that what he had done was done " that the Scripture might be fulfilled: " see Notes on that passage. It is not necessary to suppose that the Saviour meant to say that the passage in the psalm had original and exclusive reference to Judas; the phrase employed by the Saviour, " that the Scripture might be fulfille<i," may have been used by him in that large sense in which these words are often used as denoting, cither {a) that the
10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11 By this. I know that thou favGurest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
language found in the Scriptures, and applicable originally to another case, icoiild properly express the idea, or describe the fact; or {b) that the case referred to was one of a class; or that, as it was accomplished in the case of David, so in a similar sense it was accomplished in the case of the Saviour. In other words, Judas was regarded as belonging to the same class as the individual to whom the ])salm refers. He was one to whom the language of the psalm was apl)licable; and the Saviour endured the same kind of suffering which the person did who is referred to in the psalm. Thus the language of the Scriptures, applicable to all such cases, received a complete fulfilment in Him. It is remarkable that, in the reference to Judas, the Saviour quotes only a part of the verse: " He that euteth bread with rae.^' He omits, apparently from design, the former part of the verse in the psalm, "mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted," as if he would not even seem to convey the idea that he ever regarded Judas as his intimate friend, or as if he had ever really "trusted" him. He conveys the idea that Judas had partaken largely of his favours, but not that He himself was ever really a stranger to the baseness of his heart, John vi. 64, 70.
10. But thou, O Lord, he merciful unto me. That is, give me sti'ength; restore me from my sickness and weakness. ^ And raise me tip. From my bed of languishing. % That I may requite them. That I may repay them; or may recompense them. The word here used — ipX^ishalam — means properly, to be whole, sound, safe; then, in Piel, to make secure, or preserve in safety; and then, to complete, to make whole, to make good, to restore; and then, to make whole or to complete in the sense of recompensing or requiting: — to make the matter equal. It would be well expressed here by the familiar language, giving them tvhat they deserve. But it is not necessary to understand this as indicating an unforgiving spirit. The writer may have meant to say that the persons who demeaned themselves in this manner ought to be punished; that the public good required it; and being a magistrate, he spoke as one appointed to administer the laws, and prayed for a restoration to strength, that he might administer justice in this and in all similar cases. It is possible also that he meant to say he would repay them by " heaping coals of fire on their heads " — by acts of kindness in place of the wrongs that they had done him (see Prov. xxv. 21, 22; comp Rom. xii. 20, 21); though I admit that this is not the obvious interpretation. But in order to show that this was uttered with a bad spirit, and under the promptings of revenge, it would be necessary to show that neither of these supposable interpretations could he the true one. It may be added here that we may not be required to vindicate all the expressions of personal feeling found in the Psalms in order to any just view of inspiration. See General Introduction, § 6 (6).
11. By this I know. Comp. Notes on Ps. XX. 6. This indicates a confident assurance that liis prayer would be answered, and that he would be restored to health. How he had this assurance we are not informed, but it seems most probable that it was by an intimation conveyed to his mind by God himself. Comp,, for a similar case, Phil. i. 25. See Notes on that passage. ^ That thou favoto-est me. That thou dost delight in me; that thou art my friend, % Because mine eneyny doth not triumph over me. The word here rendered triumph properly means to shout, or to make a noise. As a sign of exultation, more especially in war: 1 Sam. xvii, 20, Here it means that his enemy would not
12 And as for me, thou up- Loldest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for
13 Blessed he < the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
secure a victory ov^er him; or would not shout as if such a victory were obtained. That is, he felt assured now that all the machinations of his foes would be defeated; that all the hopes which they cherished that he was soon to die would be disappointed; that he himself would be recovered from his sickness, contrary to their malicious anticipations and desires. This he regarded as an evidence that God was his friend.
12. And as for me. Literally, " and I;" as if there were some verb understood. The reference is turned on himself; on all that was suggested by this train of remark as bearing on himself The result of the whole was a firm assurance that God would sustain him, and that he would be established before God for ever. The train of thought is this: " And I — thou upholdest me." Perhaps the course of expression, if it had not been suddenly changed, would have been, " And I am sustained or held up." The thought, however, turns rather on God than on himself, and instead of carrying out the reference to himself so prominently, he turns to God as the source whence all this was derived. ^ T/wu upJioldest me. Not merely in strengthening me in my sickness, but, what is more important, in vindicating my character against the aspersions which are cast upon it. Thou dost show that I am upright. % In mine integrifif. Literally, "in my -perfection.^' See Notes on Job i. 1. The word here means uprightness, sinceritii, probity. He had been calumniated by his foes. His sickness had been regarded by them as a proof that he was a hypocrite or a stranger to God. If he had died, they would have urged that fact as evidence that he was the object of the Divine displeasure. His restored health was clear proof that their suggestions were false, and that he was not suffering for the cause which they alleged. God thus showed that he regarded him as upright and sincere. The claim is not that of absolute perfection, but only of a character of piety or integrity in opposition to the slanderous charges of his enemies. Comp. Ps. vii. 8; XXV. 21; xxvi. 1, 11. ^ And settest me before thy face for ever. That is, Thou icilt do it. God would always have him in his presence, permit him always to dwell with him — the highest proof of his friendship.